US: Mueller testifies unwillingly to satisfy Democrats

By Vakkas Dogantekin

ANKARA (AA) - Former U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller will testify publicly before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees on Wednesday, three months after his 448-page report was released finding no collusion of the Trump administration with Russia in the 2016 presidential elections.

The question and answer session at the House Judiciary Committee starting at 8:30 a.m. (0430GMT) is scheduled to last for three hours. Mueller will then testify before the House Intelligence Committee beginning at 12 p.m. (1600GMT) for two hours.

The Judiciary Committee testimony will focus on obstruction of justice. Although Mueller did not charge U.S. President Donald Trump with obstruction of justice, he looked at 10 instances in which Trump could have obstructed justice.

He stated in his report that Trump's actions were "designed to cover up a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia", something the committee will examine comprehensively in today's testimony.

The Intelligence Committee, on the other hand, is expected to focus on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and if Trump campaign members were a part of it.

Mueller's report said that Russia interfered with the election by spreading information on social media that would help Trump and undermine his Democrat opponent Hillary Clinton, and by leaking Democrats' emails to WikiLeaks.

However, it could not establish that the campaign coordinated or conspired with the Russian government.

Mueller's testimony answering questions for the first time will be broadcast by ABC, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, Fox News and C-SPAN.

- Why Mueller testifies

In a joint statement last month, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said the testimony is "pursuant to subpoenas issued by the House Judiciary and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence tonight".

"Americans have demanded to hear directly from the Special Counsel so they can understand what he and his team examined, uncovered and determined about Russia’s attack on our democracy, the Trump campaign’s acceptance and use of that help, and President Trump and his associates’ obstruction of the investigation into that attack," said the statement.

"We look forward to hearing his testimony, as do all Americans," it added.

In late May, Mueller announced the formal closure of his office and resigned from the Justice Department to return to private life.

The announcement followed the publication of most of his report summarizing his office's findings following a two-year investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and allegations that Trump's campaign colluded with that effort.

Mueller stressed in comments before reporters at the Justice Department in April that his report detailing the conclusions of his two-year investigation were not an exoneration of the president, something Trump and his allies repeatedly claimed.

Lawmakers had been seeking to have Mueller appear before Congress to testify on his report, but at the time, Mueller, who did not want to testify, said any testimony he would provide would not go beyond the report's contents.

"I hope and expect this to be the only time that I will speak about this matter," Mueller said in May.

In his remarks to ABC News, Trump's attorney Jay Sekulow recalled that Mueller said his testimony would be his report.

"We expect his testimony will be the report," Sekulow was quoted as saying.

Trump has reiterated his frustration with the ongoing "witch hunt" and said he will not even watch the testimony.

"Highly conflicted Robert Mueller should not be given another bite at the apple. In the end it will be bad for him and the phony Democrats in Congress who have done nothing but waste time on this ridiculous Witch Hunt," Trump tweeted on Monday.

"Result of the Mueller Report, NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION!"

* Servet Gunerigok from Washington DC contributed to this story